The October issue of Label & Narrow Web is once again highlighted by our expansive Companies to Watch feature, which takes a deep dive into the inner workings of some of the industry’s most active players. This year’s edition has a slightly different look and feel, though. Of the 10 companies we profiled, the first three have all been active in one of the label and package printing industry’s biggest trends – M&A activity. Meanwhile, another one of our companies was recently acquired.

Mergers and acquisitions have become a staple for many industry players. Resource Label Group has been active in a big way, recently announcing the acquisitions of StickerGiant and Ample Labels. It’s worth noting that StickerGiant, a booming digital label converter based in Colorado, was one of our Companies to Watch in 2020. Repacorp has also utilized this strategy to grow its business, and H.I.G Capital’s newest formation – Signature Action Packaging – is following this formula to boost its flexible packaging business. Learn more about the goals, processes, and strategies involved in Companies to Watch on page 46.

L&NW does not expect this trend to slow down, either. Industry data backs up that point. At the recent Label Congress, held September 29-30 in Rosemont, IL, USA, Corey Reardon, president of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, and Linnea Keen, president of TLMI, delivered an insightful presentation on the industry’s mega trends. In data gleaned from Mazzone & Associates, our industry saw 39 acquisitions in 2020. There have been 25 acquisitions YTD in 2021, and that number is expected to grow. Not only will it grow, that number is expected to well surpass last year’s figures. These moves involve strategics and consolidation.

One of the other main trends highlighted during the conference sessions was the renewed focus on sustainability. “Sustainability continued to be, pre-covid, and will continue to be, post-covid, an important topic for our industry,” noted Reardon.

In order to better explore this issue, we spoke with a number of key players who have made sustainability their main mission. In fact, we had the opportunity to sit down with Kyle Rhodes, North American president of CELAB, who explains just how the organization is planning to tackle recycling and environmentally-friendly processes on a global scale. Turn to page 82 to read the interview.

Finally, Label Congress focused on a concern for all: supply chain challenges. In a recent AWA survey, more than half of respondents (61%) are running a backlog of three weeks or more for materials. This is the fourth consecutive quarter with over 40% reporting a backlog of three weeks or more. Contingency planning and sourcing have never been more important. The companies that navigate that landscape most effectively will be well-positioned as they head into the future. For now, we wait with baited breath.


Greg Hrinya, Editor
[email protected]